Walking the best exercise?

alyssanichele
alyssanichele Posts: 105
edited October 4 in Fitness and Exercise
Some people have told me that just walking an hour a day alone can help you lose weight and inches. Agree or disagree?
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Replies

  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    "Best" exercise depends on your qualifications. But walking an hour a day is an easy way to burn calories for sure. I lost 40lbs over about 6 months, my only exercise was walking 30 minutes a day.
  • cmoutarimoussa
    cmoutarimoussa Posts: 93 Member
    Walking is a great way to get calories burned! I too lost 40lbs walking an hour 3 days a week!!! I know my badge says 22lbs lost...thats just since i joined MFP...i have lost 40lbs throughout my entire weight loss journey.
  • Shweedog
    Shweedog Posts: 883 Member
    Anything that gets you up moving around burns calories. So yes, walking for an hour will help you lose weight. Best exercise? That's up for debate I'm sure.
  • Suzymo3
    Suzymo3 Posts: 77 Member
    I have lost most of my weight with walking as my primary exercise but, I try to do at least 1 to 1 1/2 hours of walking per day.
  • Chairless
    Chairless Posts: 583 Member
    Walking is awesome, very good for you, low impact and suitable for almost everybody who can, well, walk.
  • Pancake86
    Pancake86 Posts: 94
    I lost 3 stone from power walking, and ive kept it off and the only exercise i do is walking. Walking an hour or 2 hours a day your def lose weight. Also you need to be eating healthy to.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
    Some people have told me that just walking an hour a day alone can help you lose weight and inches. Agree or disagree?
    Sure, walking an hour would burn somewhere in the neighborhood of 200-400 calories. It's practically free and can be done anywhere, anytime. It's low impact and doesn't require any special skill. As long as you're eating at the calorie target that MFP gives you for your weight loss goal, walking would be a great addition.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I don't know why anyone would disagree with that statement ...

    As for whether it's "best," that's very subjective,
  • PBJunky
    PBJunky Posts: 737 Member
    It is an exercise and will burn calories but it isn't the best
  • 2bFitNTrim
    2bFitNTrim Posts: 1,209 Member
    Walking is great exercise and almost anyone can do it. The word "best" should be attached to the exercise you like the most & will do consistently. I walked an hour this morning. I don't think I wasted my time. :flowerforyou:
  • russelljclarke
    russelljclarke Posts: 836 Member
    Some people have told me that just walking an hour a day alone can help you lose weight and inches. Agree or disagree?
    When I started my journey, walking was just about all I could manage, and it helped me to drop to a weight level where I could manage more & different exercises. As such, I can't praise it enough!
  • purpletrillium
    purpletrillium Posts: 124
    Walking is good, but walking up stairs really does it for me.
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    I live in a city, so even on my laziest days I still spend at least 45 minutes a day walking to and from places. I've never lost weight from it, but I think it's a good supplement to more strenuous exercise.

    If you have a smartphone there's a great app called RunKeeper, which uses GPS to track your mileage and calories burned (you can set it for walking, biking, running, or other activities). It even takes elevation into account. I had the app running while I was wandering around town one Saturday, and it calculated that I burned nearly 700 calories!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    It is an exercise and will burn calories but it isn't the best

    Perhaps it's not best FOR YOU.

    That's why it's subjective.
  • kmaclpn
    kmaclpn Posts: 59 Member
    I think walking is a GREAT exercise on its own.. i wish I could do it more often I live in the deep country and im petrified to go walking I fear something is going to jump out and eat me hahahaha i know im taking it far but it actually worries me
  • GCPgirl
    GCPgirl Posts: 208 Member
    I walk a half mile from the train to my building in the morning and back a half mile at the end of the day. I feel it gives me a little energy to start my day too.
  • quizzyrascal
    quizzyrascal Posts: 10 Member
    I used to be a runner and got injured, when I joined MFP I started walking but felt I was not going to see much difference and that it was too soft an option. I have been really proven wrong. I lost weight and inches. It has made the biggest and most suprising difference to my waist and abs. The only down side is how much time you have to put aside for your daily exercise.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    The thing that's the best exercise I can't post without violating the terms for this site...


    ...but walking is pretty good!
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    Some people have told me that just walking an hour a day alone can help you lose weight and inches. Agree or disagree?

    Agree.

    Is it good exercise that will burn calories and tone your butt, thighs, and legs? Yes.

    Is it the "best" exercise? That depends on your criteria. But walking is cheap, doesn't require a gym membership or special clothing beyond good shoes; can be done anywhere (even up and down an indoor hallway if necessary); and most people already possess the skills to do it correctly without risking injury. That ranks it pretty high in my book
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    I think walking is a GREAT exercise on its own.. i wish I could do it more often I live in the deep country and im petrified to go walking I fear something is going to jump out and eat me hahahaha i know im taking it far but it actually worries me

    I grew up in a semi-rural area, and if you were out walking without a dog drivers would pull over and ask if you were ok!!
  • Givemewings
    Givemewings Posts: 864 Member
    Agree, definitely! I started my weight loss journey walking.
  • 1953Judith
    1953Judith Posts: 325 Member
    I think walking is a wonderful part of my life. I walk regularly (border collie as my companion). I've done this for all the years of this fitness journey. For several months, when I joined MFP this spring, I counted it as exercise on MFP. I do other aerobic and strength bearing exercise as well. Recently as I am within 20 pounds of my goal weight and plateaued, I decided to relook at walking. I no longer count it as exercise. I consider it such an essential part of my daily lifestyle that I changed my settings from sedentary to slightly active. That has given me more calories each day and it helped me break the plateau. Even if it's not the "best" exercise, it is certainly one of the best parts of my slightly active lifestyle.
  • kathyrnmsn
    kathyrnmsn Posts: 5
    Walking is a great low impact exerise to increase your endurence and a great way to de-stress! I walk alot at work but in the fall and spring walking becomes an adventure
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I think walking is a GREAT exercise on its own.. i wish I could do it more often I live in the deep country and im petrified to go walking I fear something is going to jump out and eat me hahahaha i know im taking it far but it actually worries me
    I feel you! I live in a small city, but a couple years ago, a woman was attacked by a bobcat (or something like that) while walking here. Last night, I passed a domestic cat, but he was at the bottom of a hill and it was kind of dark out and at first, I thought he was bigger and I almost freaked out. lol
  • kristy1105
    kristy1105 Posts: 7
    Walking is the only exercise I've done. It worked for me! Along with eating better, tracking calories, etc. I have recently started using my hand weights every day, just for a few minutes at a time, to build muscle in my arms.
  • RMinVA
    RMinVA Posts: 1,085 Member
    Can you lose weight just walking? Absolutely. Is it the best? That's subjective...but anyone can do it and you have to start somewhere.

    I used to walk all the time, but as I got older it just wasn't enough. I love what I do now....long bike rides w/hubby, running, and I am a newly christened triathlete. I never even considered doing those things 20 years ago.

    Diet is the most important aspect of weight loss though.
  • Jill_newimprovedversion
    Jill_newimprovedversion Posts: 988 Member
    That's just about ALL I do ( that, and my Gazelle)....but I get creative- i park further and further away from the stores, and push the cart all the way back INTO THE STORE, I take the stairs when I can,
    I walk around the block waiting for dr. app'ts (If I arrive early, rather than sit in the waiting room)
    I walk up and down my stairs @ home and around the house when no one's home,

    and I do Leslie Sansone's Walk Away The Pounds Videos.... which incorporates upper arm movements and weights to increase
    the intensity....

    For me, right now- at this point in my life...I simply do not have the time to get to a gym because of my work schedule-
    and some other health factors that I won't discuss publicly-

    so walking in its various forms has been a real blessing- and I think the combination of eating moderately and exercising beyond
    what my body is accustomed to- has benefited me w/ close to 40 lbs and and average of 5 inches lost overall
  • SusiB60
    SusiB60 Posts: 104 Member
    Defo yes!!


    I started walking to the station and back each workday - about 50 mins a day.
    I think it's boosted weight loss - I've lost 2 stone now without starving myself.
    More importantly though, my hips & thighs have dramatically changed shape and are much slimmer and firmer now ....rather than large and very wobbly as they were before :)

    It's taken a while - I started towards the end of May this year ....but sooooo worth it.
    And I've saved a fortune in parking fees Result!!!
  • alyssanichele
    alyssanichele Posts: 105
    Thanks everyone for your replies! I guess I'm going to just stick to walking for now, and then the other exercises for toning after this weightloss later :)
  • iKristine
    iKristine Posts: 288 Member
    Best is subjective.

    Walking is an excellent way to build resistance for beginners or to just maintain an on the go active level. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. In fact, I have even upped it to include the Tracks app on my android, to time myself and my distance to monitor my improvment over weeks/months. And there is improvments that exist. I can now walk 3 miles in 45 min when I used to only do 1.5 in half hour to 40 minutes. So its goody.

    But flip side, everything is different for everyone. I cannot run. I have a lateral miniscus tear that prohibits it. But I CAN power walk, and I can jumprope. And I have been told jump rope is as aerobic as running is. So again, relative. It all depends on your goals.
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